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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. field — a subject
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. chip — to eat
  22. present — a gift
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com